Overview
- Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe have signed the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge, state officials said.
- The pledge commits data center developers to cover their share of electricity and water consumption and to pay for needed electric grid improvements and maintenance.
- Several major electric utilities are reported to be preparing to sign the pledge according to people familiar with the plans while the White House declined to formally list signatories and said support is growing.
- Officials point to public worry about rising power bills and AI-driven demand as the reason for the push, noting that average U.S. electricity prices rose about 4 percent in the past year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and federal forecasts expect further increases.
- The move builds on recent local moratoria, state hearings that exposed weak industry reporting, and pending state and congressional rules that would require better data center disclosure and could shift upgrade costs away from ratepayers.